Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia

This program's graduates earn roughly half what their peers at other California allied health programs make—a gap that's hard to ignore. At $27,132 one year out, earnings land in the 10th percentile statewide, meaning 90% of similar California programs produce better outcomes. Even compared to the national median of $36,862, these graduates fall nearly $10,000 short annually. When California's median for this field is $48,908, the underperformance is particularly striking since many families choose community-based programs specifically to save on tuition while staying competitive in the local job market.

The $19,000 debt load is actually in line with both state and national medians, so borrowing isn't the issue—it's what graduates can earn to pay it back. A 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio means owing nearly nine months of gross income, which creates tight financial margins for young workers. The 10% earnings growth to $29,751 by year four helps somewhat, but doesn't close the gap with better-performing programs.

For families weighing this option, the question is stark: why accept bottom-decile outcomes when California has 100 programs in this field, including several producing graduates who earn double these figures? Unless there are compelling geographic or scheduling constraints that make this the only viable option, the earnings data suggests looking at alternative pathways into allied health careers.